PATIALA, Punjab, India: Unresponsive audiences at Peace and Development Committee meetings all over Punjab has put a question mark on the experiment launched by the Governor, Mr. SS. Ray, to involve the people in this twin task Who is responsible for bringing people to such meeting? The question has never been replied. The audience of various meetings consisted of panches and sarpanches, local leaders and school children. Their indifference was clear from the fact that they hardly responded to any point made by any speaker. However, the audience did respond once at Bhadson when an Opposition leader criticized the Prime Minister in connection with the Bofors gun deal and killings by the government in fake encounters,
Even the political parties, which ‘were supposed to share the platform at these meetings, did not show much interest in them.
The PCC (I) had issued instructions to its leaders to attend such meeting.
But some party leaders ignored the PCC (I) directive and did not attend even one peace meeting in the district.
The Unified Akali Dal boycotted the meetings except the one at Bhadson, which was attended by Mr. Rajinder Singh Tohra, who launched a frontal attack on the Central government.
From the administration side, one of the notable absentees was the SS.P,, while the S.P. attended the meetings.
The Opposition leaders who addressed these meetings by and large spoke of State terrorism only. They did not have much to say against the activities of the freedom fighters.
However, it was said that terrorism was the brainchild of politicians.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 23, 1987
